For some reason Wednesdays have recently seen some new Blues events happening in TO’s central and west areas, and they’re featuring some major talents.

For the past two years, of course, Wednesday evenings at Gate 403 on Roncesvalles Ave. have belonged to Juno-winning songwriter Julian Fauth since his return to action following a medical sabbatical (prior to that he appeared there Tuesdays) and that weekly arrangement shows no sign of wearing thin —though next week he won’t be there as he’s out of town for a week starting this coming Saturday.  There’s no cover for the 9-1 shows at which he makes great use of the house grand piano.  But you’ll want to pick up a copy of one of his albums of originals that sound as if they were written during the Great Depression but are all his —and maybe also toss something in the tip jar.

Perhaps in part inspired by the appeal of Fauth’s shows, his good buddy Dave McManus of the nearby Junction area at the beginning of 2015 started up a new “Hump Day Blues” series further west at 349 Jane St. in On Cue Billiards.  For these 8:30-10:30 no-cover shows the veteran bass player and drummer Cleave Anderson team up with a weekly special guest guitarist/singer and lately sax virtuoso (and also a more than capable drummer) George Baumann has also been coming out to sit in.  George is expected to be on hand tonight too to help back up the featured artist: acclaimed songwriter Michelle Rumball. For this “special edition” of the event, McManus tells me, the group is expecting to do many of her tunes rather than the usual covers fare.

A multi-instrumentalist and Blues songwriter with whom McManus, Anderson and Baumann often appear on stage, Kenny Yoshioka, is now also busy since the beginning of April on Wednesday nights as co-host of the new “Midtown Blues Jam” taking place at Alleycatz, 2409 Yonge St. a bit north of Eglinton Ave. uptown.  Having him teamed up with harmonica ace Mark “Bird” Stafford to run this 7-10 pay-what-you-can event is an interesting idea, since Yoshioka is also well known as a gifted harp player and actually broke into the scene by teaming up regularly as an accompanist to Fauth, with whom he still frequently performs.

Another new entry into the “Hump Day Blues” sweeps is Jazz Bistro at 251 Victoria St. downtown, inheritor of the long, worthy tradition of the venerable Senator Restaurant that lives on at least in an adjacent marquee.  For the past couple of months the room has been offering its own “Hump Day Blues” show with some impressive talent and tonight’s feature is a dilly: iconic Downchild Blues Band singer Chuck Jackson is teamed up with Blues-Jazz piano tyro Tyler Yarema.  The 8-10:30 shows have a $10 cover charge, which for that level of talent is truly a pretty good deal.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca

SHOW LISTINGS for Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Listings are organized by area in which the shows occur and within each area field shows are listed chronologically.

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.) Events preceded by question mark (?) usually take place but have not been confirmed. Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum.

Names of subscribers appear in bold and underlined and, where applicable, include a live link to their websites. Advertisers’ listings are in larger, highlighted type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

416 – Toronto Central

*5:30> Kama House Band @ Kama, 214 King St. W., TO ~Jazz

6-8> Gigi & Friends featuring Genevieve Marentette @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St., TO ~Jazz; $10

6> Dave Borins @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

6> Comhaltas Irish Slow Session @ Tranzac Club (Tiki Room), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~folk dancing

6:30> Bugaloo Squad @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

*7> Jim Heineman Trio @ Nawlins, 299 King St. W., TO ~Jazz

*7-10> Blues jam with Mark Stafford & Ken Yoshioka @ Alleycatz, 2409 Yonge St., TO North

7:30> Karl Silveira & guests @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO

*7:30> Jeff Willingham @ Lou Dawgs Ryerson, 76 Gerrard St. E., TO ~acoustic Pop

**8-12> Girls Night Out Jazz singers’ jam with Lisa Particelli, Peter Hill et al @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St., TO

**8 (7 p.m. sign-up)> open stage with 9 p.m. feature by Bob Allen @ Fat Albert’s, 25 Cecil St. (Steelworkers Hall), TO ~Roots

8> Michael Keith @ Ratio, 283 College St., TO ~eclectic Blues/World

8-1> open jam with Wednesday’s Child feat. Johnny Bootz Hutt @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO

8> The Distillery @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

8-10:30> Chuck Jackson & Tyler Yarema @ Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St., TO ~Blues; $

8-10> Viva Cabaret @ Rivoli, 334 Queen St. W., TO ~tribute to the divas; $

8:30> Samir Hossain; Luke Letourneau; Noel Brennan @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., TO ~songwriters; $6

9> The Digs @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Funk/Jazz/neo-Soul; $

*9 (signup at 8:30)> open mic with Alan Carter @ Lowdown, 276 Augusta Ave., TO

*9-2> What’s Poppin’ indie jam @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St., TO

9> Morality Players; Gen Gorman; Afterlove; Northern Saints @ Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W., TO ~indie; $

9:30> Ryley Murray @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

10> David Baxter @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~original Roots/Country

10> Paul Kolinski @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO

*10-2> Blues-Rock jam with Bruce Domoney @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave. TO

10:30> Chatty Cathy @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock

*10:30> The LMT Connection @ Orbit Room, 580 College St. TO ~Funk/R&B; $10

416 – Toronto East

*7:30-10:30> The BTBs @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz

8> Lzrszn @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave., TO East ~space Jazz

*8> acoustic open mic with Phill Hood @ An Sibin Pub, 709 Queen St. E., TO East

8:30-10:30> The Jessica Stuart Few @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East ~indie Pop

*9:30> open stage with Nicola Vaughan @ Black Swan (downstairs), 154 Danforth Ave., TO East

416 – Toronto Etobicoke

9> Space Jazz jam with guitarist Youngchan Na & band with weekly guest tba @ Placebo Space, 2877 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Etobicoke ~Jazz ; $10/pwyc

416 – Toronto West

*8> MFA open mic @ Remix Lounge, 1305 Dundas St. W., TO West

**8:30-10:30> Hump Night Blues with Dave McManus & Cleave Anderson + special guests Michelle Rumball & George Baumann @ On Cue Billiards, 349 Jane St., TO West ~original Blues

9-12> Blues Night with Julian Fauth & guests @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~original Juno-winning Blues

9> Kyssi Wète @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W., TO West ~French Congolese singer-songwriter; $10

9> The Mayhemingways @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~eclectic Folk duo

10> TV Girl; Memoryhouse; Graham Kartna @ Smiling Buddha, 961 College St., TO West

10> Heavyweights Brass Band @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~ $10

*10> Kristine Schmitt & The Lonesome Ace Stringband @ The Hole In The Wall, 2867 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Pop

519

9> The Phil & John Show feat. Phil Naro @ Molly Bloom’s Waterloo, 170 University Ave., Waterloo ~acoustic Pop Rock

705

*7-11> open jam with The Freacon Band @ The Beacon, 146 45th St., Wasaga Beach ~ Blues, Jazz; $5

7:30> Mike Lonergan @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

8> Shawn Steinhart @ The Huron Club, 94 Pine St., Collingwood

8> open mic with Mallory Stone @ Black Honey Desserts, 221 Hunter St. West, Peterborough

905 East

8-12> open mic night @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax

8> Big Wind @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

*8-11> open mic @ Frank’s Pasta, 426 King St. E., Cobourg

*10> Two For The Show @ Tartan Tavern, 555 Rossland Rd. E., Oshawa ~Pop Rock

905 North

*7> open mic night with Tanya Joy Senior @ Col. McGrady’s Pub, 44 Brock St. W., Uxbridge

*7-close> open mic with Kevin Ker @ The Mill, 139 Mill St., Unionville

*8:45> open mic jam with Matt Zady @ Magnums, 21 McMurchy Ave. N., Brampton

*9-1> open mic jam with Whiskey Birds @ Sweetz Lounge, 5289 Hwy 7, Woodbridge-Vaughan

*9:30> open mic with The Villagers @ Main’s Mansion, 144 Main St., Markham

*10-2> jam night with Switchbeat Trio @ Maguires, 284 Queen St. E., Brampton

905 South

*7> open mic night @ Donnelley’s Pub, 54 Front St., Thorold ~Blues

**8-1> Boogie N Blues jam with Ian Andrews & Friends @ Corktown Pub, 175 Young St., Hamilton

8> Terrie Petrie & band hosts Country Wednesdays @ Pub Fiction, 1242 Garner Rd. W., Ancaster ~Country

*8:30> Something Country @ The Endzone, 1900 King St. E., Hamilton ~Country

9> Variety Show @ Homegrown Hamilton, 27 King William St., Hamilton ~$10/pwyc

9> Wild Soul Wednesday with Skirt Check @ Casbah Lounge, 306 King St. W., Hamilton

9> Island People; The Astromen @ This Ain’t Hollywood, 345 James St. N., Hamilton

905 West

8-1> Nudie album release with guest Chris Altmann @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~classic Country sounding originals; $10

*8:30> The Carson Freeman Diversion @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Rock

9-1> Maxine Young @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Rock/Pop; $

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